The present invention related generally to heating apparatus, and more particularly to heating apparatus including a radiator which is brought to red heat by combustion of a fuel.
Conventional fuel combustion heating apparatus is generally known as an infrared ray heater. In the conventional infrared ray heater, about 55% of the thermal energy generated by the combustion of fuel is radiated from the heater radiator element in a given direction, usually forward of the heater, while the rest of the thermal energy flows into the surroundings as exhaust heat in a spontaneous convection merely raising the temperature near the ceiling. This renders the heating operation, with the conventional heater, quite inefficient.
Further, when articles to be dried are placed in front of the known infrared ray heater for a long period of time, the temperature differences between the portions of the articles facing the heater and the portions of the articles facing in the opposite direction are significantly large and cause the articles to deflect or warp due to differences in thermal expansion. The conventional infrared ray heater has the further disadvantage that it is necessary to rotate the articles to accelerate drying, and to arrange a number of the articles equidistant from the heater to obtain even drying. This is not only troublesome, but inefficient as well.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above and other disadvantages in conventional heaters, and to provide a heater of high efficiency including an infrared ray heater and a fan for deflecting heated convective air in the same direction as the radiated heat.
In accordance with the present invention, a heating apparatus comprises a combustion chamber including a generally cylindrical housing, and a radiator forming a part of the housing and having a radiating surface which extends over the axial length of the chamber for directing radiant heat in a forward heating direction. A fan has an outlet opening substantially coextensive with the radiating surface in the axial direction of the chamber to deflect convective air heated by the chamber in the forward direction. The fan is mounted above and to the rear side of the chamber housing so that the fan is out of the influence of radiant and convective heat developed by the chamber. A motor is mounted at one end of the fan so that it is also out of the influence of the radiant and convective heat.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention .